Shadow Siege: The Dark Descent
by Designation 6of10
Summary: Shadow siege, A Unicorn knight from the east, has been captured and thrown into a dark prison where he is left with no food, and very little water. But things change in his dark cage. The question is, will they be for better, or for worst? - Rated T for violence and language.
1. Part 1: The Cage

The days flew by like nothing. Hunger seized Shadow Siege like a plague. He'd been trapped in this pitch-black prison for more days than he could count. Though water occasionally dripped down from the ceiling, he received no food. He couldn't use his magic to so much as light up the dark place, much less to escape. This was due to a large split down the side of his horn. It hurt when he thought about it. The last time he'd tried to use it, the split had doubled in size, bringing agony so unbearable he'd blacked out.

Suddenly, a sliver of light came through the wall, as if a door was opening. The sliver got wider and wider until it opened up into a doorway. Though the light coming from it was dim, it was still enough to make Shadow Siege have to cover his eyes. Suddenly, a large clang sounded, and the cuff on his leg broke open.

"Get up," a rough voice said.

Shadow lie there, weak, unable to stand. He was barely conscious when a whip cracked on his flank.

"I said get UP!" The whip cracked again, causing Shadow Siege to wince. Eventually, Shadow Siege found the strength to rise. He opened his eyes to see a large stallion clad in black armor, with a pointed horn upon his head, levitating a long whip.

"Come with me," he growled. He turned and walked down the long hallway, indicating for Shadow Siege to follow him.

 **Stay tuned for Part 2!**


	2. Part 2: The Arena

Shadow Siege was led down a long hallway towards a large closed gate. Through the gate he could see a large stadium filled with cheering spectators of many races. He saw alicorns, bat ponies, and zebras, as well as the standard unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony. In the stadium was a manticore, a large lion with dragon wings and a scorpion tail, as well as a white Mare clad in golden armor. The mare appeared to be a pegasus, and had a blue mane and tail. Her hair was short, like that of a stallion, so her muzzle and eyelashes were the only ways she could be recognized as a mare. She held a celestial-gold broadsword in her mouth, and appeared to be fighting the manticore with it.

The manticore struck at her with its tail, but she dodged out of the way, slicing the blade down the beast's stomach. Blood poured out from the wound, covering the ground. The manticore roared and collapsed, dead. The crowd cheered loudly as the mare stood there, panting.

The gate in front of shadow siege opened, and the mare trotted inside, glancing slightly at Shadow Siege as she passed. Silently some bat-ponies dressed Shadow Siege in his dark grey Stygian Iron armor and gave him his sword. Without a word, he was shoved into the stadium, and the gate closed behind him. Someone spoke over the stadium, speaking in tongues he did not understand. The crowd cheered, and a door on the other side of the stadium opened, causing Shadow Siege to gulp.

 **Stay tuned for part 3!**


	3. Part 3: The Beast

Shadow Siege fought back panic as the huge manticore stepped out of it's cage. It was obviously female, as it had no mane. That, or it had been shaved to _look_ like it was female, Shadow Siege couldn't tell.

Either way, it looked strong. There was _no way_ Shadow could fight that thing, especially without his horn. Without looking away from the manticore, Shadow Siege reached around and pulled his sword from its scabbard. It was a longsword with a leather grip and a dark grey blade shaped like an elongated leaf. The guard was silver, with a large black jewel in the center, known as an Ebonstone. It charged the Stygian Iron blade, filling it with extra strength, so as to keep it from shattering, and to allow it to cut through almost anything, including dragonhide, like butter.

He held his trusty sword, puer tenebrarum, which meant the Child of Darkness, and faced the beast. Shadow felt slightly better now that he held his sword again. The Ebonstone began to glow, letting off a dark, misty light. Soon, his sword blade glowed as well, staying that way for a second before stopping. The blade was now pure black, and gleamed in the torchlight all around the arena. Shadow Siege lowered into a slight crouch, glaring at his foe with a look that said: _Come at me, foul beast!_

The manticore roared and charged at Shadow Siege, but he was ready. He leapt up over the manticore, slicing its left wing as it slid underneath him. He landed with a _thud_ and turned around, facing the manticore. It snarled at him, folding its wings. The crowd cheered as the manticore charged again, this time slashing the air above it with its tail. As Shadow Siege jumped, the manticore's scorpion-like tail slammed into his chest, the stinger missing him by only a tail-length. Shadow's breath was knocked out of him, and he hit the ground. His sword skidded away on the hard dirt. If not for his enchanted armor, the impact of the tail and the ground combined would have killed him.

As Shadow's sword, puer tenebrarum, slid away from him, it lost its dark enchantment and returned to its original color. The Ebonstone could no longer enchant the blade when it was too far away from the bearer. Shadow tried to lift it with his horn, but a piercing agony lit up on it, causing him to gasp. His Horn was still useless.

The manticore had him pinned. It dug its large claws into Shadow's flank and it held him there, snarling in his face. Its hot breath rolled over Shadow Siege, causing him to gag. The crowd went wild as the manticore raised its tail, preparing to sting. Shadow closed his eyes, and waited…

And waited…

And waited some more…

Nothing. He opened his eyes and saw the manticore being chained and dragged away, its claws cutting through Shadow's flank as it was pulled from its prey. The crowd booed loudly as the beast was put back into its cage. Big, burly unicorns cantered up to Shadow siege and took off his armor and took away his sword. He was chained and led back to his dark cell, where he was thrown in and chained to the wall. The door closed, and Shadow Siege was plunged into darkness.

 **Stay tuned for Part 4!**


	4. Part 4: The Maiden

It's been three weeks since the fight. Shadow Siege's wounds had begun to heal, though not very well. An infection had begun to spread, causing his cuts to ooze pus. The smell had soon filled up Shadow's dark cell. Shadow Siege was almost relieved when the door opened, letting in the smell of a damp, underground cavern.

When Shadow Siege could see again, he saw a large, well-built pegasus standing behind a chained mare. The mare was the one he'd seen fighting in the arena three weeks ago, just before he did. The Guard shoved the mare into Shadow's cell, and chained her to the wall beside him. The mare spat into the guard's face, who promptly kicked her in the side.

"You better learn to control that temper, girl," The guard spat back in a gruff voice.

"You will never prevail," The mare replied. "Celestia will crush you beneath her hooves, and claim victory over all of Equestria once again! You will all d-" She was cut off as the guard kicked her again.

"If your precious princess could save you," He started. "You would've gotten out of here long ago. Nay, your princess can do nothing!"

He turned away and slammed the door, plunging the cell into darkness once again.

"Hey," Shadow Siege croaked. "Do you really believe that?"

The mare didn't reply.

"My name is Shadow Siege," Shadow Siege said.

"I'm Solar Flare," the mare replied. She lay down and turned away from Shadow Siege.

Shadow Siege winced as he lay down as well. His infected wound began to bleed again. He tried to cover it up and stop the bleeding, but it flowed past his hooves and continued to leak onto the cold cell floor.

"You're bleeding," Solar Flare said, concerned.

 _Thank you captain obvious._ Shadow thought.

"Let me help." Solar Flare pushed her forelock to the side, revealing a long white horn. Even in this dark cell, Shadow Siege was able to see it clearly.

"You're an alicorn!" Shadow exclaimed.

Solar Flare just nodded. She pointed her horn towards Shadow's wound. It began to glow with a magical aura, and Shadow's wound started to feel better. After a few seconds, pus began to leak out like crazy, before stopping when the wound scabbed over.

"There," Solar Flare sighed. "The infection is gone. Now your body must heal on its own."

Shadow Siege couldn't believe it. "Th-thank you," He muttered.

Solar Flare nodded again. She swept her forelock back into place, concealing her horn as if it were never there.

"You must never tell," She blurted out. "If _they_ found out I'm an alicorn…" She trailed off.

"Don't worry," Shadow Siege said. "Your secret's safe with me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-0-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three weeks later, a slot opened up at the bottom of the cell door. A tray with muddy straw and old wheat seeds was shoved through. Shadow Siege cautiously crawled up to it and gave it a sniff. "It's food," He said. He dragged the tray back towards Solar Flare and pushed it towards her. "Eat," He ordered. "It may be the only food we get for another month."

"I'm not hungry," Flare lied.

Shadow Siege wasn't fooled. "You're right," he said. "You're starving. Now eat. I won't take no for an answer." He pushed the tray closer to Flare.

Reluctantly, Solar flare sniffed it, then took a bite. It tasted like dirt, but she didn't care. It was food, and she was starving.

After finishing a small portion, which was almost too much to handle, Flare pushed the tray back to Shadow Siege. "You need to eat as well," She stated.

Shadow thanked her and began to eat. He took only a few bites before he got full. "We should save the rest," he said. "We can eat tomorrow."

And that's how it went. Every two weeks, another tray was shoved into the cell. The two would eat a little, then save the rest. They grew stronger this way. Shadow's horn began to heal, and his wounds disappeared. Solar Flare had begun doing exercises with her wings in order to get them strong again. This continued for three months, until, finally, Shadow's horn had healed. He was able to use his horn to light up their small, damp cell, as well as levitate objects. Eventually, his horn got strong enough to lift Solar Flare off the ground for five seconds. The pair continued to strengthen and train for five more weeks, until one day, the door opened.

It was a pair of guards, both unicorns, holding whips. One of the guards trotted into the cell and unchained Shadow Siege and Solar flare.

"Get up," The guard said. He cracked his whip above Shadow's head to make his point. Acting weak, the two got up and followed the guards out of the cell. They looked each other in the eyes, their plan about to come into action. While the guards locked the cell door behind them, they sprang.

 **Stay Tuned for Part 5!**


	5. Part 5: The Escape

_A/N: This took significantly longer to write than previous chapters, however it is longer than all previous chapters. You may also notice the style change in several places. I am toying around with different styles of language, attempting to find one that matches with the theme. Other than that, Please enjoy!_

It all happened in a flash. Shadow and Flare jumped on their captors and threw them off balance. The pair then proceeded to tie them up with their own whips, before taking their keys and throwing them into the cell, locking the door. The two wasted no time, and ran off to find their armor. They ran into a few guards, but Shadow Siege knocked them out with a blast from his horn. They burst into the tunnel that lead to the arena and blasted their way through five guards before retrieving their armor, which had been readied for their fight. Shadow Siege picked up his sword with his horn, relieved that he was finally able to do so. He sheathed his blade, then nodded at Flare.

"Do you know the way out of here?" Shadow asked.

"Yes," Solar Flare answered. "Follow me."

She burst off down the tunnel, barely waiting for Shadow Siege to catch up. She whipped around corners, past doors and confused guards, before they finally met with a dead end.

"Which way now?" Shadow asked, concerned. He heard the thundering of hooves behind him, no doubt a large group of guards.

Solar Flare looked around the cavern for a gripping five seconds before she spotted it. "There," she exclaimed. "Our way out!" There was a ladder, barely visible against the dark earthen walls, but it was there. It led up into a dark hole in the ceiling.

Without hesitation, Solar Flare charged up the ladder, disappearing into the darkness. Shadow looked back at the tunnel from whence they came, then turned around and followed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-0-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The climb was long and grueling. Every five minutes it felt like the ladder would give way under their weight, but it held.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of climbing, Solar Flare stopped. Unable to see clearly in the darkness, Shadow Siege nearly bumped into her.

"Why did you stop?" Shadow inquired.

Flare hesitated. She felt the earth above her, then said: "We're here." She pushed on the earth above her, and it gave way. Light poured in from above as Solar Flare pushed through the earth above her. It swung open like a trapdoor, and Solar Flare crawled out, followed by a dazed Shadow Siege. Shadow blinked several times to get used to the light. It was nearly sunset by the look of it.

"Where are we?" Shadow Siege asked, curious.

"I don't know," Solar Flare answered. "But it sure doesn't look familiar. I've not seen a place such as this in all of Equestria!"

"What's Equestria?" Shadow Siege questioned.

Solar Flare turned and gave him a confused look. "You are not from Equestria?" She asked, confused.

Shadow Siege shook his head. "I am from the Secerian* Empire," he replied. "I've not heard of a land such as Equestria."

"Nor have I heard of a land called the Secerian Empire," Solar Flare said, puzzled. "Have you heard of Celestia?" She asked him.

"Nay," he replied. "I've not heard of any such individual. Equestria is not on our maps. Prey tell, what is it like?"

Solar Flare began to respond when she heard a noise coming from their exit. "Nevermind that now, we must make haste, and flee from this place, lest we be caught once again. I do not know about you, but I would prefer to stay as far away from that hell-hole as I can."

Shadow Siege nodded. "It becomes night, we shall have a better chance in the dark. I know my way around in the shadows." He drew his sword, and led the way forward. They passed over a hill and plunged into a dark forest. Shadow Siege pushed through the branches and undergrowth, leaving not a sign he'd passed through. He signaled for Flare to do the same. He stopped next to a large pile of animal dung, its scent so strong, he had to cover his nose.

"We must cover ourselves," He choked out.

"I think not!" Flare steamed. "I am _not_ going to cover myself in that, that _FILTH!_ What ever is it for, anyway?"

Shadow Siege was surprised. "Is it not obvious?" He asked.

"No," Flare responded. "It is not. Please explain to me why we must cover ourselves in this stench."

"The ones who captured us are ruthless," He explained, annoyed. "The have trained animals to track our scents. These animals are able to smell us from several miles away. By covering ourselves in dung, we disguise our scent, making it harder to track us."

Solar Flare wanted to argue, but Shadow Siege cut her off.

"If you want to keep your coat clean then that's fine by me. But do not expect to be able to stay by my side. If you get caught and killed, that is your own doing." With this, Shadow rolled in the dung, its sticky substance catching in his coat and on his armor. Solar Flare suppressed the urge to throw up, and began to do the same. Once they were covered, Shadow nodded and led the way back into the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-0-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun went down, and the forest was plunged into darkness. Shadow Siege felt comfortable, for 'twas not pitch dark, yet 'twas still dark enough to make it hard for any-pony else to see. The night was cool and damp. Shadow sighed as the breeze gently flowed through his mane.

"I cannot see my hooves in front of me!" Solar Flare exclaimed rather loudly. "'Tis dark and cold, and this wretched stench has soaked into my coat! We've gone far enough, cannot we stop and cleanse ourselves, before settling down for the night?"

"We've been traveling for but an hour now, and our pursuers are not far behind, I can assure you," Shadow Siege responded. "Nay, we continue on through the darkness."

Solar Flare huffed, but did not argue. Instead, she lifted her chin, and trotted onward into the night.

 **Stay Tuned for Part 6!**

 _*Pronounced: (sis-seer-ian)_


	6. Part 6: The Village

It was nearly daylight when the two finally made it out of the forest. Solar Flare was tired, and Shadow Siege had to support her on more than one occasion.

"Do you not think," Flare gasped. "That we should rest? We've been fleeing through the night, and I am not afraid to admit, I am exhausted."

Shadow Siege agreed. "If my navigation is correct, and we are where I think we are, there should be a small village but a stone's throw north. The best way to get there is to follow the tree line." He turned and started walking northward, the sun barely rising over the trees to his left. The morning rays gleamed off his Stygian Iron armor. His dark grey mane flowing in the breeze. Flare gaped. She hadn't been able to get a very good look at the stallion since they'd first met. Now, with the sun shining, she was able to see just how handsome he was.

Stop that! Flare scolded herself. You are a warrior! You do not fall for somepony you've barely met!

Shadow Siege stopped and turned around. "You coming, Flare?" he called.

Solar Flare shook her head. "Y-yeah," She called back. "I'm coming."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-0-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Half an hour later, they arrived at the village. Shadow Siege was right, it was small.

There were no walls surrounding it, and it mostly consisted of a few small cabins. An unlit bon-fire stood in the center of the village. To the north of the fire was a slightly larger cabin that Shadow concluded to be the town hall. A small river flowed past behind it, coming from the woods and flowing off to the northeast. The whole thing felt abandoned, as if nopony had been there in years, yet there was no sign of aging. The fire was stocked, the buildings and grounds well-maintained, it looked fine. It wasn't long before Flare asked the question on both of their minds.

"Where are the villagers?"

Without speaking, Shadow Siege walked into the center of the village, right in front of the bon-fire. He looked around, searching for something, anything, that would give them a clue as to where the villagers went. "Let's check the buildings," He said, calmly. "I'll check the town hall, you check the houses. We might be able to find a clue to the towns-ponies' disappearance."

Flare nodded, and started running through the houses. Shadow siege turned towards the town hall and trotted up to the door. He knocked on it gently with his hoof, pushing it open. Concerned, he walked inside.

"Hello," he called into the shadows. "Is anypony here?" He lit up the building with a dim glow from his horn. Inside he could see several pews with black cushions lined up in ten rows, five on the left, and five on the right. At the back of the room was a large desk with five tall, leather chairs behind it. Several scrolls and papers were piled neatly on the desk. Shadow Siege went up to the chairs and placed a hoof on one. Still warm. Somepony had been there recently, holding some sort of meeting.

Shadow turned to go when something caught his eye. The long red rug that led from the door to the desk was wrinkled on one end, as if it were thrown into place hastily. Shadow Siege trotted over to it and lifted it. Underneath was a pony-sized trapdoor with an old, rusted latch on it. Shadow tugged at the latch and the door lifted away with ease. Just as he was about to look in, something shot out and nailed him on the chin. Shadow was thrown back by the impact, and landed three feet away on his back. A large, light grey stallion shot out of the hole and planted his large hooves on Shadow's shoulders, pushing them against the floor. Out of instinct, Shadow Siege pulled his sword from its scabbard using his horn, and slashed at his attacker, slicing his shin. The stallion yowled and reared, giving Shadow Siege just enough time to roll away. He got up and lunged, positioning his sword tip to the stallion's throat, holding him there.

"Who are you," Shadow siege growled. "What do you want?"

The large stallion snorted. "I was about to ask you the same thing! What do you cowards want with our village? Is stealing our money and enslaving our mares not good enough? Do you wish to take our lives as well?!"

Shadow's eyes widened. "You've been oppressed?" He asked, quietly.

"Don't act like you don't know," The stallion replied. His eyes shone with hatred.

Shadow lowered his sword, the other stallion looking surprised.

"I'm sorry," Shadow said. "I did not know you were protecting your village. My comrade and I are on the run, possibly from the same ponies that oppress you. We came to this village hoping to find refuge. When you attacked, I acted on instinct…" He winced as he looked at the cut on the stallion's shin. "Sorry, by the way."

The stallion backed down as well. "If you're apologising, then you must not be one of those tyrants. Plus, your armor is different." He lowered into a more casual position. "Sorry for attacking you. I thought you were one of them."

"My name is Shadow Siege," Shadow said.

"Mine is Auron*," the stallion said. "Pleased to meet you, Shadow Siege. Even if it was under unfortunate circumstances."

Solar flare burst into the room, sword drawn. "I got here as fast as I could, I heard the fighting…" She turned and saw Auron, and his eyes widened. "You have wings, yet you hold the sword with magic. Could you be, an al-" He was cut off as her sword point slid up against his throat.

"Not another word!" Flare hissed.

"Flare," Shadow said. "Put the sword down, he's a friend."

Reluctantly, Solar Flare pulled the sword away, but did not sheath it.

"You know him?" She growled.

"Well," Shadow Siege said. "Not exactly. I've only met him but a moment ago. However, I do know that he is no threat. He simply wishes to protect the village."

Flare was about to argue when she heard a creak behind her, and some whispering. A pair of eyes peeked at them from under the trapdoor, curiosity overtaking them.

Auron smiled. "'Tis alright," he said. "You can come out now."

With a moment of hesitation, the trapdoor was slowly opened, revealing a trio of young fillies, each without a cutiemark. One was a pegasus, with a red mane and a dark orange coat. Another was a unicorn with a pink mane and a blue coat. And the final one was an earth-pony with a rainbow mane and a black coat. The three fillies crawled out of the doorway and rushed towards Auron, knocking him to the floor.

"Auron!" The unicorn said.

"You're okay!" Continued the earth-pony.

"Yes, Aurora. I'm okay." Auron said with a laugh.

"Mommy thought you were dead!" Aurora said.

"Did she, now?" Auron said.

Aurora nodded. "Mhm! But I didn't, I knew you'd win, you're the strongest pony alive!"

"I don't know," The pegasus said, looking at Auron's injured shin. "It looks like he was injured. The strongest pony alive can't be injured."

"Blitz is right," the unicorn said. "Auron was hurt."

"What do you know, Midnight?" Aurora said. "My daddy is the greatest pony alive!"

Auron laughed. "You know as well as I, Aurora, that there are ponies far better than me in this world. And, yes, I was injured, but 'tis only a scratch. No harm done." He looked into the hole in the floor, where several mares and stallions were crawling out. "Where is your mother?" He asked the filly.

"Mommy went into the caves because she thought you'd been killed," Aurora said. "She said she was going to 'ev-anj' you."

Auron's eyes widened. "Stay here," he ordered Aurora, and pushed his way into the hole.

Aurora, Blitz, and Midnight turned to look at Shadow Siege and Solar Flare.

"Are you warriors?" Blitz asked.

"Of course they are," Midnight said. "Look at their armor!"

"How many of those tyrants have you killed?"

"Did you come to save the village?"

"Where did you come from?"

"Do you live in a castle?"

"Why is your armor different?"

"Slow down!" Flare laughed. "So many questions! I'd almost forgotten what fillies were like."

"We're on the run," Shadow started. "We were captured from two different lands. Solar Flare lives in a land called Equestria, and I live in the Secerian Empire. I was among the tenebris milites, an elite group of soldiers hoof-picked to serve in the king's personal guard. I was on a mission to save the kingdom from a dark cult known as Spawn diaboli, when I was captured, and taken to an underground prison.

"The cult locked me in a pitch-black room, and gave me no food. The only water I had was what dripped down from the cell walls. I was left there, with a broken horn and very little strength. After a long time in the cell, I was thrown into an arena, where I had to fight for my life against a manticore. After a nearly deadly defeat, I was locked back into my cell, where I met Solar Flare.

"Together, we got stronger. My horn healed, and Flare's wings were able to carry her off the ground. We hatched an escape plan, and waited.

"Eventually, she and I escaped through a hidden passageway that led to the surface. We fled through the woods, and discovered this village.

"When we got here, nopony was around. We decided to look for clues as to where you all had gone, and I ran into Auron. We had a small fight, and he was very brave. Eventually, he and I discovered that there was no need to fight each other. And the rest, well, you know the rest."

As Shadow finished his story, he saw everypony sitting with different expressions on their faces. The three fillies were in awe.

Blitz shook her head. "What's your story, Flare?" She asked.

"I'd rather not say," She replied. "'Tis not a tale for young ears, and it is too painful to remember. Nay, I will not tell my story, not yet."

"Well," one of the elders said. "If y'all need a place to stay, yer more than welcome here."

"Thank you," Shadow Siege said. "We are quite tired, and in need of rest." As if on queue, Flare's knees buckled slightly, and both ponies' eyelids grew heavy.

"This way, warriors!" Midnight said. "I shall take you to your cottage!"

Midnight shot up onto her hooves and led the way out of the town hall and to a small cottage to the west of the bonfire. Inside were simple straw beds with white sheets over them, as well as a kitchenette, and a small table with two chairs. Shadow thanked the filly, and lay down on one of the beds. His head hadn't even lay down yet when he dozed off into sweet, peaceful sleep.

Stay tuned for Part 7!


	7. Part 7: The Shadow

_Wind whipped through the trees, causing leaves and debris to fly at Shadow Siege's face. The wind stung his eyes, but he kept going._

 _Darkness swirled around him. Inky blackness so thick, it was hard to move. Shadows danced in front of him, laughing at him. "What's wrong, Shadow Siege?" They mocked. "We thought you were part of the_ tenebris milites, _why does the darkness slow you? Should it not hasten your movement?"_

 _Shadow Siege grunted and unsheathed his sword, attempting to slice through the blackness. Wherever he sliced, more darkness quickly took its place. The thick, inky blackness rose around him, choking him. He gasped, trying to draw in breath, but getting a lungful of pure darkness instead. He collapsed, kneeling on the ground. He was desperately gasping for breath, the air around him being sucked away and replaced with blackness. The shadows laughed some more, and continued to mock him._

" _Poor Shadow Siege," they laughed. "Even your own namesake betrays you. You should have never chosen to meddle with the shadows!"_

 _Shadow Siege's vision blurred. He looked up to see a wave of pure, inky darkness crashing down upon him. It hit him with such force, he passed out._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-0-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"NO!" Shadow Siege bolted upright, breathing heavily. His heart was playing the Minute Waltz in his chest. His body was covered in sweat, and his mane was frazzled beyond recognition.

Shadow Siege looked around. He was back in the village, in the small cottage they'd given him for the night. Laying on a bed, on the other side of the room, was Solar Flare. Her forelock was swept to the side, revealing her horn. Her wings were spread out, meaning she must have been dreaming, though she showed no sign it was a nightmare.

Shadow Siege sighed. Flare wasn't troubled by the terrors he went through each night. She wasn't trying to tame the darkness. In a way, Shadow was jealous.

Solar Flare shifted in her bed and let out a slight sigh. She eased open her eyes and looked at Shadow Siege.

"Good morning," She yawned. "How did you sleep?"

Shadow didn't reply, instead heading over to the kitchenette to make breakfast.

Solar Flare frowned. "More night terrors?" She asked, concerned.

Shadow didn't reply.

"You know, you can talk about it," Flare said. "I am your partner, you can trust me."

"I'd rather not speak of it," Shadow sighed. "It is my problem, and mine alone. I made a decision, and now I must live with the consequences."

"I do not understand," Flare said. "What could you have done to deserve such a punishment, to be carried out each night?"

Shadow Siege sighed again. "I tried to bind myself to a force I cannot control, and now must spend my life wrestling with it."

"What force?" Flare inquired.

"I will not say," Shadow snapped. "It is for myself alone to deal with! There's nothing you, nor anypony else in this world, can do to help me!"

Solar Flare backed away. "If you feel that way forever, you will have to live in misery! I, for one, care about what happens to you!"

"And what makes you care so much?" Shadow Siege snarled.

Flare hung her head. "You saved my life," she said softly. "I couldn't live with myself were something to happen to you."

Shadow's expression softened. He trotted over to Flare.

"'Tis just a nightmare," he whispered in her ear. "Nothing more. I can live with that, and so can you." He trotted back to the kitchenette and continued to make breakfast. The sweet smell of pancakes filled the cottage, making the pair almost forget they were on the run.

Once the pancakes were finished, the two sat at the small table and ate, saying hardly a word. It was Shadow Siege who broke the silence.

"You said yesterday that your tale is not for young ears," he said. "Prey tell, what is it?"

Solar Flare's eyes drooped. "I do not feel this is the right time," she said. "I may be open to discussing it later, but not now."

Shadow nodded. "I understand," he said. "If you do not wish to share, that is fine by me. I just wanted to get to know you better."

Flare turned away. "It's fine," she said. "I just do not feel this is the right time."

Shadow was about to answer when he heard a scream outside. He shot out of the chair, grabbed his sword, and practically destroyed the door as he burst outside. Several large stallions in red and black armor surrounded a small family of one mare and three foals, while a beaten and bloody Auron lay nearby, trying to fight the assailants.

"Your rent is past due," one of the guards said. "Where is your payment?"

"We've already paid your tax," one of the elders said. "400 bits, that's what we agreed on."

The guard grinned. "Taxes went up. it's 500 bits, now." He pulled out his whip. "Better pay it quick, I can't guarantee these fillies won't get hurt!" he snapped the whip above the fillies head to prove his point, causing them to scream.

"Leave them alone!" Auron screamed. "They're innocent!" The guard holding Auron kicked him, shutting him up.

"We don't have another 100 bits," the elder said. "We've given you all we have."

"Not good enough!" the guard snapped. He cracked his whip, this time leaving a bruise on Midnight's flank. She cried out in pain as the whip met her flesh.

"YOU SICK BASTARD!" Auron screamed. "I SWEAR UPON ALL THAT IS HOLY, YOU WILL-" he was cut off as the guard kicked him again.

"ENOUGH!" Shadow Siege charged at the nearest guard, running him through with his sword. He ducked to avoid another guard's axe, and stabbed said guard in the leg, right below his flank. The guard screamed and collapsed.

"You fools," screamed the head guard, putting away his whip and unsheathing his sword. "Kill him!"

The shocked guards shot into action, slicing and striking and trying to his Shadow Siege, but he was like a swarm of bees. The swords seemed to pass right through him as his body shifted like a gas. His horn was glowing, and soon Shadow Siege was pure darkness, swirling around and killing guards. He mowed them down two at a time, never stopping. His power ran out, and he returned to a normal physical form. All around him were the guards, injured or dead. The mare and three fillies stared at him in horror, and so did Auron.

"What… _are_ you?" Auron gasped.

Solar Flare stood there, looking shocked as well. "Shadow Siege," she said. "How did you do that?"

Shadow shook his head. "I don't know," he lied. "I've never done that before." He slid his sword back into its scabbard with a _shink,_ and turned to the mare and fillies. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

The fillies nodded, but the mare stood up, an angry and fearful expression on her face.

"What kind of monster are you?!" She spat. "Only creatures of darkness can become shadow, and you did it right before our eyes!" She turned to the rest of the village. "The prophecy has begun! A curse hath been laid upon our village, and we will be plagued by darkness!" She turned back to Shadow Siege. "This one must die, before any _thing_ else like it shows up to torment us!" She grabbed one of the guards' swords and swung at Shadow Siege. He ducked out of the way of the blade, crying out "I mean you no harm! I am not a creature of darkness!" He tripped over a guard's body and fell on his back. With a scream, the mare came upon him with the sword, and ran him through.

 **Stay Tuned for Part 8!**


End file.
